A majority of people experiencing homelessness long-term in Australia are found in the large cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. It is estimated that on any given night approximately 116,000 people will be homeless and many more are living in insecure housing, "one step away from being homeless".
Realistically in Australia, most people experiencing homelessness are hidden from sight. They could be sleeping in a car, couch surfing or enduring the night on public buses. They may have shelter but no permanent place to make a home. These are the “hidden homeless”.
Key findings. California, New York and Florida have the largest homeless populations. Across the three states, more than 280,000 people are homeless — that's nearly half of the total U.S. homeless population.
Part of: Australia's welfare 2021
Governments across Australia fund services to support people who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
For thousands of Australians, the risk of losing their home is only one pay slip away. The high cost of rental housing combined with the lack of affordable housing options, particularly for low income earners, can force many families and individuals out of their homes with no place to live.
Black and Native Americans are more likely to become homeless than other racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. Although Black people comprise 13 percent of the general population and 21.4 percent of those living in poverty, they account for 40 percent of the homeless population.
African Americans.
Among the nation's racial and ethnic groups, Black Americans have the highest rate of homelessness.
At the same time, the homelessness rate has continued to outpace Australia's rate of population growth. The average monthly number of people using homelessness services increased by 8% to 91,300 over the past four years – double the growth rate of new households.
Shortage of affordable homes
The leading causes of homelessness and housing stress are complex. They include factors such as poverty and the lack of affordable housing, driven by family violence, rental stress, rising living costs, gender pay gap, poor health, trauma and job insecurity.
Homelessness can be caused by poverty, unemployment or by a shortage of affordable housing, or it can be triggered by family breakdown, mental illness, sexual assault, addiction, financial difficulty, gambling or social isolation.
Domestic and family violence was the most commonly reported main reason that Indigenous people sought assistance from specialist homelessness services (22%), as it was for non-Indigenous clients (21%). Agencies were able to support some Indigenous clients into more stable housing.
Homeless people sleep anywhere they can find a place. Whether it is outside under a bridge, in a tent out in the woods, or on a park bench, homeless people are sleeping anywhere they can find. It's not safe, and many homeless people are victims of crimes perpetrated while they are trying to get some rest.
The lack of secure and stable shelter, food, income, hygiene and physical and behavioral health care makes it nearly impossible to be healthy. The life expectancy of a person experiencing homelessness is just 48 years.
This could mean staying with family and friends, sofa surfing, living in unsuitable housing such as squats or in sheds. These people will not be visible in any official figures. This is called 'hidden homeless'.
Age. Across both household and shelter types, nearly three-quarters of people experiencing homelessness were adults aged 25 or older (428,859 people), 18% were children under the age of 18 (106,364 children).
Social isolation and risk of incarceration
Life on the streets can be a demeaning, humiliating and, at times, dehumanizing experience. Clearly, living without material comforts is only one part of the plight. The mental struggle caused by isolation and abuse is often an even more difficult burden to bear.
Having no permanent address is pretty much what defines homelessness. Most jobs require a permanent address from those they consider hiring, so not having one makes it more difficult to find a job.
THE STATE WITH THE HIGHEST GROWTH IN HOMELESSNESS
While the increased rate of homelessness in NSW was across the board, young adults (19-24) fared worst, with a 45 per cent increase in the five years to 2016 — nearly three times the national increase for the same age group.